CAMPAIGN 2012

Bachmann on 'Queen of Rage' Label: 'I'm a Very Happy Person'

The morning after she arguably took away the trophy of the Iowa GOP presidential debate, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., still had questions to answer--including thoughts on her controversial Newsweek cover photo that had everyone but her crying sexism. Asked about it on Friday on NBC’s Todayshow, Bachmann said she had other things on her mind this week but opined that the cover text, “Queen of Rage,” wasn’t fair.

“It really didn’t impact me that much, because over this last week the United States has received a punch to the gut,” she said. “We’ve seen the stock market plunge, lost for the first time in this country our AAA bond rating, and we had a tragic loss in Afghanistan that was unparalleled, and the president got a blank check for $2.4 trillion. That’s not a good week. So a magazine photo isn’t even a factor in this.”

Still, she continued, labeling her “Queen of Rage” is “not at all” accurate. “I’m a very happy person,” Bachmann said. “I’m a very optimistic person, because what I know to be true is that if we put the right policies into place, in the next quarter we will already be at the beginnings of an economic turnaround.”

Bachmann also dealt with some other barbs thrown at her during Thursday night’s debate, including one of her more controversial claims that biblically, a woman should “submit to her husband.”

“I was happy to have the opportunity just to be able to talk about my wonderful family and my husband,” she said. In her answer to the question at the debate, Bachmann clarified that by “submit,” she meant “respect.”

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To fellow Minnesotan Tim Pawlenty’s offensive against Bachmann’s record and experience, Bachmann pointed out that her congressional tenure is “going on five years now,” and that she has affected policy outcome “whether it was on the TARP debate or whether it was on 'Obamacare.' In particular now during the last two months when I’ve been the leading voice--almost the lone voice in the wilderness of Washington, fighting against raising the debt ceiling--people paid attention.”